Jeff Teague’s latest trade proposal sets the stage for a cruel summer for New York Knicks fans.
In the latest edition of his Club 520 web series, the NBA All-Star and champion offered a bizarre trade that would leave Knicks fans flabbergasted, reasoning that New York should send franchise face Jalen Brunson back to his original NBA home of Dallas in exchange for Mavericks star Kyrie Irving.
“If you trade Jalen Brunson back to the Mavericks for Kyrie Irving, nobody would be mad in New York,” Teague boldly reasoned. “Even though Jalen Brunson kills in the Garden, the way Kyrie’s going to make it look in the Garden, he’s going to put on a show; everyone would go to the game and be happy.”
The “MVP” chants that follow Brunson at both MSG and arenas abroad, as well as the way he has thrust Manhattan back onto the map of NBA relevancy since he arrived in the summer of 2022, would suggest that fans would indeed take issue with the point guard being dealt. Brunson has become a Manhattan basketball icon since coming over from the Mavericks in free agency and there’s no sign of him losing that status any time soon.
That’s far from enough to sway Teague, who said that Irving’s style is better suited for the healthily untamed aura of Madison Square Garden.
“Jalen Brunson puts on shows, too, but the way Kyrie plays is more of a movie. The way he moves and plays is just way more exciting. They’re probably the same level of player, like how effective they are in the game, but they just go about it a different way. The way Kyrie goes about it is more entertaining for a place that wants to be a show; it’s a show when you go to New York, the Garden, they put on shows, and Kyrie puts on a show, just in a different way.”
If the Knicks were to engage in such a deal, one that would acquire a seasoned Irving for Brunson in the latter’s prime, fan reaction would likely make the over-the-top negative reception to Dallas’ dealing of Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers look peaceful in comparison. Brunson is fully ingrained in the New York culture through his clutch antics and ascendence to the team captaincy. A deal at this point kill off metropolitan progress and perhaps even serve as a final straw for many looking to renounce their fandom.
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